Chapter 5
Peripheral Venous Dynamics, Venous
Oxygen Saturation and Local Oxygen
Consumption Measured
with an Extended Photoplethysmograpic
Muscle Pump Test
Vladimir Blazek and Claudia Blazek
Abstract This chapter describes a novel photoplethysmographic test strategy to
measure venous and arterial oxygen saturation noninvasively, employing an extended
venous muscle pump test. During this test, the patient performs dorsal extensions of
the ankle in a sitting position and pumps venous blood from the periphery back to
the heart by contraction of different leg muscles. Subsequently, the ‘venous blood
volume pulse’ is measured to determine the lower leg’s functional venous oxygen
saturation level at the test site. We present this method as a unique and, for the
first time, complementary to the arterial saturation level estimated from the arterial
blood volume pulse. An advantage of our approach is that it is possible to calculate
local oxygen consumption too and, hence, to estimate the new parameter related to
metabolic activity of the tissue surrounding the test site. Therefore, this method is
considered as a pioneering one. Based on our preliminary results, peripheral venous
saturation under physiological conditions is significantly lower (around 75%) in
comparison with arterial oxygen saturation about 98%.
5.1 Need for Venous Oxygen Saturation Measurement
We have sufficient energy reserves in our bodies to survive several days without food
intake. Unfortunately, we do not have an extensive oxygen in our bodies; hence we
are in imminent danger once we stop breathing. Therefore, it is important that the
oxygen content in blood is measured, especially for patients suffering from cardio
pulmonary ailments. The pulse oximeters described in chaps. 3 and 4 accomplish this
V. Blazek (B)
Medical Information Technology, Helmholtz Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH
Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
e-mail: blazek@hia.rwth-aachen.de
C. Blazek
The Private Clinic of Dermatology, Haut im Zentrum, Zurich, Switzerland
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
V. Blazek et al. (eds.), Studies in Skin Perfusion Dynamics,
Biological and Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5449-0_5
93
Peripheral Venous Dynamics, Venous
Oxygen Saturation and Local Oxygen
Consumption Measured
with an Extended Photoplethysmograpic
Muscle Pump Test
Vladimir Blazek and Claudia Blazek
Abstract This chapter describes a novel photoplethysmographic test strategy to
measure venous and arterial oxygen saturation noninvasively, employing an extended
venous muscle pump test. During this test, the patient performs dorsal extensions of
the ankle in a sitting position and pumps venous blood from the periphery back to
the heart by contraction of different leg muscles. Subsequently, the ‘venous blood
volume pulse’ is measured to determine the lower leg’s functional venous oxygen
saturation level at the test site. We present this method as a unique and, for the
first time, complementary to the arterial saturation level estimated from the arterial
blood volume pulse. An advantage of our approach is that it is possible to calculate
local oxygen consumption too and, hence, to estimate the new parameter related to
metabolic activity of the tissue surrounding the test site. Therefore, this method is
considered as a pioneering one. Based on our preliminary results, peripheral venous
saturation under physiological conditions is significantly lower (around 75%) in
comparison with arterial oxygen saturation about 98%.
5.1 Need for Venous Oxygen Saturation Measurement
We have sufficient energy reserves in our bodies to survive several days without food
intake. Unfortunately, we do not have an extensive oxygen in our bodies; hence we
are in imminent danger once we stop breathing. Therefore, it is important that the
oxygen content in blood is measured, especially for patients suffering from cardio
pulmonary ailments. The pulse oximeters described in chaps. 3 and 4 accomplish this
V. Blazek (B)
Medical Information Technology, Helmholtz Institute for Biomedical Engineering, RWTH
Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
e-mail: blazek@hia.rwth-aachen.de
C. Blazek
The Private Clinic of Dermatology, Haut im Zentrum, Zurich, Switzerland
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
V. Blazek et al. (eds.), Studies in Skin Perfusion Dynamics,
Biological and Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5449-0_5
93